


Waited Way Too Long to Say

by MadAlien



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: After the wildfire, Carlos Calls TK Ty When They're Alone and I Cannot Be Convinced Otherwise, First Declaration of Love, Fluff, M/M, Post Episode: Hold the Line, SO FLUFFY, Short & Sweet, Soft & Tender, shared shower
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29242194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadAlien/pseuds/MadAlien
Summary: Carlos takes care of TK after he returns home from fighting wildfires.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 14
Kudos: 307





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Ben Platt's "In Case You Don't Live Forever."

TK let himself into Carlos’s apartment, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible. Exhausted, he paused, leaning heavily against the door for a moment before locking it and quietly picking his way up the stairs. 

It was late, too late for him to be coming over, really. It had been after midnight by the time the 126 had made it back to the station after fighting the wildfires, and it was later yet by the time his parents had convinced him that his dad was fine and that his mom would look after him and that, honestly, he should just go be with Carlos. Still shaken by the thought of how close he’d been to losing his father, TK had hesitated, feeling the urge to take care of his dad and be near him, but in the end, he’d been convinced. Simmering beneath his concern for his dad was a bone deep need to be in Carlos’s arms, to burrow into his neck, and to just be near him after being away for so long. 

So his parents had gone home, and, suddenly impossibly impatient to be near his boyfriend, TK had left the station without showering and driven the familiar route that would take him to Carlos. As much as he wanted to slide right into bed, he knew he was filthy; several days of fighting wildfires with limited access to anything remotely in the neighborhood of hygiene products had left him caked with soot, dirt, and sweat. As a firefighter, he was used to being dirty and smelling like smoke, but even he had to admit that the stench was strong. 

Still being as quiet as possible, he let himself into the bathroom across the hall from Carlos’s bedroom, stripped, and stepped under the warm spray of the shower with a soft groan of relief. He luxuriated in the hot water for a few minutes before grabbing Carlos’s shampoo and working it through his hair. He’d never admit it, but he loved using Carlos’s shampoo and body wash so that he could have his boyfriend’s scent on him, even when he wasn’t around. By the way that Carlos spent a lot of time with his nose buried in TK’s hair after he showered at Carlos’s place, TK was willing to bet that Carlos liked it just as much. 

He was rinsing shampoo from his hair for a second time — smoke can be a stubborn smell to wash out of hair — when the door to the shower swung open, and a strong pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Carlos rested his chin on TK’s shoulder, a few stray shampoo suds transferring to his hair and face. “Hi baby,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to TK’s neck. “I missed you.” 

TK smiled. “I missed you, too. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I was trying to be quiet.” 

“You were,” Carlos said, chuckling a little. “Guess my Ty Sensor just went off, because I suddenly woke up and knew you were in the house.” 

“If that weren’t so sweet, it’d be really creepy,” TK teased, twisting in Carlos’s arms so he could look at his boyfriend properly. “Hi,” he whispered, unexplainable emotion suddenly swelling within him. 

Carlos kissed him gently, his large hands cradling TK’s face as though it were the most precious thing he’d ever held. It wasn’t a kiss meant to lead anywhere — it was a kiss of reunion, of reacquaintance. A silent signal that Carlos was there for the good times and the bad times and all the times in between. It was a reassurance that he’d be a strong, steady presence in TK’s life for as long as TK wanted him there. 

Carlos eventually broke off the kiss and pulled TK against his chest, one hand on the back of TK’s head and the other gently tracing along his spine. “How’s your dad?” He asked softly. 

“Good. Better,” TK replied. “The doctor said he’d be out of commission for a few days but that he’d make a full recovery. Mom’s with him now.” 

“Good, I was worried about him. And you.” 

“Why me?”

Carlos huffed a little laugh, like he couldn’t believe why TK was asking him that. “I always worry about you, Ty. Every second you’re not in my sight, I worry something is going to happen to you.” 

“I’m sorry,” TK said in a small voice, suddenly and irrationally worrying that he was Too Much for Carlos to want to deal with. 

“Shh, no reason to apologize.” Carlos pressed a kiss to TK’s wet, but now smoke-free hair. “I worry because I care. And because you have a knack for getting yourself into some … precarious situations.” 

TK smiled against Carlos’s neck. “I can’t argue with that.” 

“And yet you probably want to,” Carlos teased, affection clear in his voice. 

“If I weren’t so beat, I probably would.” TK punctuated this statement with a yawn. 

“Then let’s get you cleaned up and tucked into bed, okay, baby?” Carlos released TK, putting a little space between them and grabbed a loofah, loading it up with body wash. He lovingly washed TK’s neck and back and shoulders before running the loofah down each arm. He continued a soapy trail down his chest to his upper thighs, squatting to wipe away the grime and soot clinging to TK’s calves. Though they were both completely naked, his soft touches to TK’s groin and ass weren’t sexual at all, but ones of tender care. 

Once satisfied that TK was clean, Carlos gently nudged him back a step so that he was fully under the spray of the water to rinse all the suds off. He cupped TK’s jaw with one hand, running a gentle thumb across his cheekbone. “You really are impossibly beautiful, you know that?” He said, heart thrumming at the warm blush that crossed TK’s face and neck. He reached around TK and shut off the water, earning him an adorable little huff of displeasure. 

“It’s cold,” TK grumped as Carlos stepped out and grabbed a fluffy towel. 

“This is Texas, sweetheart. It’s never cold.” All the same, Carlos wrapped the warm towel around TK, gently drying him off. 

TK continued to allow Carlos to baby him, even though there was a part of him that wanted to inform Carlos that he wasn’t helpless and could do all this himself. TK often worried about being a burden to the people around him — his parents, his team, Carlos. He worried that because of his history, they saw him as less capable or as somebody constantly in need of help and assistance. That small voice was silenced when he looked into Carlos’s brown eyes and saw the affection driving Carlos’s actions. He saw in Carlos’s unwavering gaze that his boyfriend was taking care of him not because he thought TK couldn’t take care of himself, but because Carlos _wanted_ to take care of him. TK almost didn’t know what to do with this realization or the swell of emotion that spread in his chest as a result; he’d never had a partner who was this attentive and caring before, and it made him feel almost unbearably fond of Carlos. 

Somewhat in a daze, TK allowed Carlos to take his hand and guide him back to the bedroom, pausing only to scoop up his dirty clothes and deposit them in the hamper along with both of their towels. Carlos dug through his drawers for a minute before handing a clean pair of boxers to TK and sliding into a second pair himself. TK almost asked for one of his t-shirts to wear — he loved the feeling of belonging to Carlos he had whenever he wore his clothes — but decided he’d rather feel Carlos’s skin against him. 

The sheets were rumpled from Carlos having been asleep when TK arrived, and they both slid beneath them, Carlos rolling to his back and pulling TK against his side, one arm wrapped firmly around his boyfriend. TK rested his cheek on Carlos’s shoulder, his hand coming up to lay on his firm chest. Carlos placed his hand on top of TK’s, twining their fingers together. For the first time since TK had left to fight the wildfires, they both breathed deep and relaxed fully. 

Carlos was hovering somewhere between waking and sleeping when TK shifted, pressing his whole body against Carlos and tangling his top leg with Carlos’s. “Hey, ‘Los?” he whispered, unsure if Carlos had already fallen asleep. 

“Yeah, baby?” 

TK paused for a moment, as though building courage to speak again. “I love you,” he said quietly. It was the first time he’d said it, and it was both the most terrifying and most natural thing he’d ever done. He realized as the words left his mouth that though he’d said it to past partners, this was the first time he _really_ meant it, the first time he thought he actually understood what love was. 

Carlos released TK’s hand and tipped TK’s chin up so that he could kiss him. “I love you too, Ty.” 

“Really?” It slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. 

“Really,” Carlos promised. “Love you so much.” He slid his hand down to TK’s waist, wrapping him fully in his arms. 

“Me too,” TK whispered. “So much.” 

“Think I’m gonna keep you forever, if that’s okay with you,” Carlos said sleepily, eyes fluttering shut. 

TK kissed Carlos’s neck. “Forever sounds good to me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The short morning after follow up that I absolutely did not intend to write. But I guess I just can't get enough of these guys being soft and schmoopy.

TK slowly woke up to the sensation of calloused fingers trailing along his bare arm. At some point in the night they’d shifted so that they were both on their sides, Carlos spooning close up behind him. TK loved being the little spoon, loved the feeling of Carlos behind and around him, keeping him safe and secure. He’d never known what true contentment was until the first time he’d woken up in Carlos’s arms like this. 

He let Carlos continue to stroke his skin for a moment, enjoying the sensation, before catching Carlos’s hand in his own and bringing his large fingers to his lips to kiss them. “Morning,” he said, voice rough from sleep. 

“Morning, love,” Carlos said, and TK didn’t even have to be looking at his face to tell that his boyfriend was smiling. 

Smiling himself, TK wiggled and shifted until he was facing Carlos, morning breath be damned. “So you still love me this morning, huh?” He was mostly teasing, but there was also the knot of insecurity that permanently resided in him that needed Carlos to reassure him. He trusted Carlos completely and knew that he’d never say anything he didn’t mean, so he believed that Carlos had been sincere in his declaration of love the night before. But that pesky insecurity also had him on edge that, regardless of how irrational of a fear it was, Carlos had somehow changed his mind in the middle of the night. 

Carlos’s smile widened, and he kissed TK on the forehead. As with being the little spoon, TK was a sucker for forehead kisses, and Carlos knew this. “I’d go as far as to say that I love you more this morning than I did last night,” he said. 

TK beamed. “Oh really? How come?” 

Carlos tightened his arms around TK, holding him even closer. “Well,” he said, rubbing gentle circles on TK’s back, “the way I see it, love isn’t a finite, static thing. It’s something that grows and expands over time. I loved you more last night than I did the first time I realized I love you, so it only seems logical that since more time has passed, I love you even more now.” 

TK made a sort of strangled noise around the knot of emotion in his throat, eyes shimmering with unexpected tears. He buried his face in Carlos’s neck, taking deep breaths to gather himself. “God, baby, you can’t just say things like that first thing in the morning,” he grumbled good naturedly against Carlos’s throat. 

“You asked,” Carlos said with a laugh, kissing TK’s temple. 

“Am I allowed to ask when you first realized you loved me?” TK asked, voice a little shy and sheepish. 

“You’re allowed to ask me anything, Ty.” He gently nudged at TK so there was more space between them and he could look TK in the eyes. “It was the night of the solar storm when you just reached over and grabbed my hand. It was such a simple thing, but, I don’t know, everything felt … real, finally? You looked at me differently than you ever had that night, softer and more sincere, and I think that was the final straw that broke me and made me realize it wasn’t just a crush or infatuation.” 

TK’s eyes were misty again. “I, um, I think I loved you that night too,” he said, clearing his throat a little. “I just didn’t realize it yet.” He kissed Carlos gently before continuing, his voice softer and a bit wary. “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out for sure.” 

“Oh, baby, there’s no need to apologize. You can’t rush these things, and we’re here now, aren’t we? That’s all that matters” Carlos gathered him close again, squeezing him tightly. 

“I love you,” was all TK could think to say. 

“I love you, too.” 

They were quiet for a few minutes, just enjoying being close to each other, before Carlos spoke again. “How did everything else go the last few days, other than …” 

“Other than my dad almost dying in a helicopter crash and us going rogue to go find him?” 

Carlos looked sheepish. “Yeah, other than that.” 

TK kissed Carlos to let him know he wasn’t upset. “We got some crews from out of state, which was helpful. Mateo and I hung out a lot with this guy, Buck, from Los Angeles who was pretty cool.” 

“Pretty cool, huh?” Carlos teased. 

“Yeah, I kinda thought he might be hitting on me. He said we should hang out if I’m ever in LA” TK laughed a little at the way Carlos narrowed his eyes and steeled his expression. Jealous Carlos was, simply put, adorable. “Oh relax, I told him I have a boyfriend and that it’s serious.” 

It was almost comical how quickly Carlos’s expression changed to one that was soft and loving. “Oh this is serious, is it?” He teased. 

“I mean, I love you and want to be with you for the indefinite future, so I’d say yes. Do you have a different opinion, Officer Reyes?” 

Carlos kissed TK deeply. “No,” he said after he finally pulled back, “this is definitely serious.” 

TK smiled. “Good. It’d be terrible to have to start from scratch with somebody else if, y’know, this were just a casual fling that’s gonna end soon.” 

Carlos growled a little. “No need for anybody else. I don’t like sharing, and I have no intention of letting you go. I said I want to keep you forever, remember?” 

“I remember. And I said I’m on board for the forever thing, remember?” TK countered. “But I do have to say that I like you all growly like this. It’s very cute.” 

“I’m not cute,” Carlos said petulantly. 

“Oh, my love, that’s where you’re wrong. You are perfectly adorable.” TK peppered Carlos’s face with a bunch of sloppy kisses, and Carlos began to laugh despite himself. 

Both of them giggling, Carlos rolled onto his back, bringing TK with him. “We should probably get up, huh? Is it okay if I go with you to see your dad?”

TK felt his love for Carlos deepen at his automatic understanding that TK would want to spend time with his dad today and the clear affection Carlos had for his dad. “Yeah, I’d like that. Sure that’s how you want to spend your day off? Trying to take care of a man who hates being fussed over and will assure us that he’s fine?” 

“I’m sure,” Carlos said firmly. “I want to be where you are.” 

TK smiled. “I sure do love you.” Now that he'd said it, he found that he wanted to tell Carlos all the time.

“Love you too, tiger.” 

“We can get up in a minute,” TK said, burrowing into Carlos’s chest. “Just wanna stay here with you for a little longer.” 

Carlos began to gently run his fingers through TK’s hair. “Sounds like a plan.”


End file.
